Official: Ka’Deem Carey signs with the Arizona Wildcats

by Anthony Gimino on Feb 02, 2011, under Arizona football, Arizona football recruiting

Ka'Deem Carey. Photo by WildcatSportsReport.com

Canyon del Oro running back Ka’Deem Carey, one of the top skill position players to come out of the Tucson area, will be an Arizona Wildcat.

Carey made the official announcement this afternoon at the high school. A couple of hours earlier, he had faxed in his letter of intent to Arizona, according to Chris Bonney of WildcatSports.com, one of the partners in the TucsonCitizen.com Sports Network.

Carey committed to Arizona in June but took a recruiting visit to Arizona State late last month, and his decision has been much anticipated from both sides of the rivalry. For Arizona coach Mike Stoops, it was not only critical to keep a highly-valued local prospect at home but away from the Sun Devils.

Carey ended his CDO career with 5,702 rushing yards and 82 rushing touchdowns. He was 177 yards shy of the state’s rushing record.

Carey was the Arizona Republic’s 2009 Big School Player of the Year. As a junior, he rushed for 2,738 yards and 43 touchdowns on 224 carries — 12.2 yards per carry. Most impressively, he ran for 299 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-0 victory that ended Scottsdale Saguaro’s 37-game winning streak, a Class 4A record.

Ka'Deem Carey poses with his family after announcing he signed with Arizona. Photo from KOLD-TV's Damien Alameda, via Twitpic

Carey didn’t match those numbers as a senior, as he was limited by injuries.

Rivals.com rates Carey as the 13th-best running back in the country and the 197th-best prospect overall.